Marijuana

According to SAMSHA’s 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the national average for marijuana use for youth is 6.8%. When compared to the states that have legalized marijuana, 8 of them have past 30-day teen marijuana use rating higher than the national average, demonstrating a direct relationship between teen use and legalization. *Marijuana is not legal for recreational use in NM and RI

66.8% of Vernon youth DO NOTuse marijuana, so talking with your youth, using reliable facts, is key to substance use prevention.

Short Term Effects on the Brain

Altered senses (for example, seeing brighter colors)

Altered sense of time

Changes in mood

Impaired body movement

Difficulty with thinking and problem- solving

Impaired memory

Hallucinations (when taken in high doses)

Delusions (when taken in high doses)

Psychosis (risk is highest with regular use of high potency marijuana)

Long Term Effects on the Brain

Affects brain development, meaning teenagers who use marijuana are at risk of impairing:

Thinking

Memory

Learning functions

It affects how the brain builds connections between the areas necessary for these functions.

Delta-9­ tetrahydrocannabinol or better known as THC is the chemical in marijuana most responsible for the intoxicating effect people have after consuming marijuana.

The chemical is found in resin produced by the leaves and buds primarily of the female cannabis plant. The plant also contains over 500 other chemicals, including more than 100 compounds that are chemically related to THC, called cannabinoids.

Traveling through the body via the blood, it is sent to the body’s organs like the brain. Organs in the body have fatty tissues that quickly absorb the THC in marijuana, creating the intoxication.

Marijuana today is much stronger than that of the 1970s and even ’90s. According to NIDA, in the early 1990s, the average THC content in confiscated marijuana samples was less than 4%. However, in 2018, it was more than 15%.

Also, new methods of consumption of marijuana (dabbing and oils) deliver even higher levels THC to a person. The average marijuana extract contains more than 50% THC, with some samples exceeding 80%.

Unfortunately, sexual minorities often face social stigma, discrimination, and other challenges like violence and harassment, not experienced by those who identify as heterosexual. These challenges mixed with other stressors lead sexual minorities to be at an increased risk for substance use. According to SAMHSA, substance use disorders affect 20 to 30% of the LGBTQIA+ population, compared to 8.4% of the general population. People who identify as gay and lesbian are more than twice as likely as those who identify as heterosexual to have a severe alcohol or tobacco use disorder. That number raises to three times as likely for people who identify as bisexual, and five times as likely for people who are unsure how to identify their sexuality (National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2017). The Vernon ROCKS Coalition wants everyone to know there are supportive people, and resources to help and you are not alone. We stand in solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community. Visit our website for more information. www.vernonrocksct.org/pride-month/... See MoreSee Less